Inadequate Jury Duty Compensation

So I’m now finished with Day 2 of jury duty and still going, and as of right now I have a 40% chance of getting picked on a jury for a four week trial! My company does pay me while serving on jury duty, which makes me happy after hearing all the people talk about the lost wages they’ll suffer from if they get picked. I totally feel for the hourly workers… Jury duty pay in my area is like $25 a day. Of course, the courthouse is located right smack in downtown – that’s how much parking + a cheap lunch costs per day!

And finally, while I do get paid, do they really expect people not to get any work done while on jury duty? I just end up answering tons of e-mails and coordinating stuff after I get back, or early in the morning. I guess if I was a cashier or something. Tomorrow, since I’m at the courthouse, I’m going to nose around and see if there are any foreclosure notices or auctions going on…